Flying to Japan

International flights to Japan have never been cheaper thanks to ever increasing competition between the airlines.

Furthermore, various special offers on flights to Japan are now available, thanks to the "Visit Japan" campaign by the Japanese government to increase the number of foreign visitors.

The following are ways to save on airfare to Japan:

Fly outside the peak seasons, which include Christmas and New Year, the Golden Week (end of April, beginning of May) and the summer holidays (July and August).

Check travel agents, newspapers, travel websites and the airlines' websites for special offers. Most major airlines have a "special offers" section on their website. Many airlines also provide individual websites to the residents of each country or world region, which they are flying to.

If your city has a sizeable Japanese community, chances are that a large Japanese travel agency, such as HIS, operates a branch there. Check them out, as they tend to be very well informed about offers on flights to Japan and often have access to the lowest fares.

Consider tour packages. Good packages combine airfare and accommodation at low rates, unavailable to individual consumers. There are tour packages for both, individual travelers and those who prefer to travel with a guide.

Use an airline's mileage program, also known as frequent flyer program. In the ideal program 1) collected miles never expire, 2) miles can also be earned and used on flights of partner airlines, 3) miles can be shared among family members and 4) there are alternative ways to collect miles, e.g. through usage of a credit card.

Some airlines offer discount fares on domestic routes, if you use them to fly to Japan.

Airlines and Airports

Few of the world's major airlines and airports do not offer flights to Japan. The country's own two leading airlines, Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA), both serve a broad range of international destinations.

Japan's most important international airport is Tokyo's Narita Airport, followed by Osaka's Kansai Airport and Nagoya's Central Japan Airport.

Japan's fourth largest international airport is Fukuoka Airport, which links the city with several Asian destinations. Other Japanese airports offer small numbers of international flights mainly to Korea, China and other Asian destinations.